Significance of localized expression of full-length growth differentiation factor-15 in cachexia of advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is one of the key cachexia-inducing factors. Clinical trials on therapies targeting GDF-15 for cancer and cancer cachexia are underway. While the role of circulating GDF-15 in cachexia has been clarified, the effects of GDF-15 expression within cancer cells remain to be fully elucidated. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the expression of GDF-15 in advanced lung cancer tissues and to understand its role in cachexia. Methods We retrospectively examined the expression level of full-length GDF-15 in advanced non-small cell lung cancer tissues and analyzed the relationship between the staining intensity and clinical data in 53 samples. Results We found that 52.8% of the total samples were GDF-15 positive, and GDF-15 expression significantly correlated with improved C-reactive protein/albumin ratio ( p = 0.008). It did not correlate with the existence of cancer cachexia and overall survival ( p = 0.43). Conclusion Our findings show that GDF-15 expression significantly correlated with improved C-reactive protein/albumin ratio, but not the existence of cancer cachexia in advanced NSCLC patients.